Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
The three words, assure, ensure, and insure, are often confused so here are the definitions along with some examples to help clarify the distinctions for you.
Assure: to promise or say with confidence
Example: Let me assure you that I will be at the meeting at noon.
Ensure: to make sure something will/won’t happen
Example: To ensure my family’s safety, I have installed an alarm system.
Insure: to issue an insurance policy
Example: I will insure my home with additional fire and flood policies.
Pop Quiz
Choose the correct word in each sentence. Scroll down to view answers.
1. I assure/ensure/insure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
2. I will assure/ensure/insure my car as required by law.
3. Mauricio saved money from every paycheck to assure/ensure/insure he could buy gifts for his family at the end of the year.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. I assure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
2. I will insure my car as required by law.
3. Mauricio saved money from every paycheck to ensure he could buy gifts for his family at the end of the year.
Posted on Monday, November 26th, 2007, at 3:24 pm
48 Responses to “Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure”
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Someone needs to forward these definitions to the NRA. Their brochure says, “Insure Your Gun Rights – Join NRA.” The website listed at the bottom of the brochure even lists a website called “www.InsureYourGunRights.com.” OOPS!
Good point!
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility…”
I’ve been wondering if the Founders should have written “ensure” there. Of course, it could well be that the distinction between “insure” and “ensure” has changed since the late 18th century.
You’re correct. Today we would use “ensure” in this case. I imagine that you are also correct that the distinction between “insure” and “ensure” came later. Thanks for writing.
Insure means more than just “issue an insurance policy.” It also means “to make certain especially by taking necessary measures and precautions.”
It’s in that spirit that the NRA uses the word in their ads.
The second definition of “to make certain” is better to spell “ensure” rather than “insure.”
Yes, but as the NRA considers membership as insurance to protect one’s gun ownership, “insure” is the correct term. In this case the “insurance” they offer is political bargaining power and not a traditional monetary policy, but it is insurance none the less.
As I responded on October 28, 2010, the second definition of “to make certain” is better to spell “ensure” rather than “insure.”
I am a medical transcriptionist and this was an excellent explanation. Thank you. I have the Blue Book.
I am glad you found it helpful, Jennifer. Thanks for your comment.
While I agree there are instances when the use of either word is appropriate, there is a subtle distinction between ensure and insure that is not being appreciated in this article. I (and many others) correctly use “insure” to emphasize the active implementation of measures that makes a desired outcome more certain. To tie it strictly to the issuance of an insurance policy leaves its definition remarkably (and incorrectly) narrow.
I appreciate your comment. Yes, while the words ensure and insure are generally interchangeable, only insure is used in the commercial insurance sense.
I really appreciate the clarity on this. Not knowing the distinctions have always bothered me. BTW- the term “bad” grammar has always bothered me as well. In the spirit of Chomsky’s theory that grammar is innate, I find myself wanting to correct/change the word “bad” to “poor”. Is there any basis to my… pet peeve?
I would say that either “bad grammar” or “poor grammar” would be equally acceptable. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “bad” as “failing to reach an acceptable standard: poor.” In this case, the two words seem interchangeable. Your pet peeve is just a matter of personal preference.
Great explanation. Thanks!
But why then do we sometimes hear: “… to help ensure…”? It seems the intended meaning of this construct is to make the occcurrence of something ‘more likely’, which seems to negate the meaning of ensure, which is to make it ‘certain’.
Examples:
“I will ensure the money is raised” versus “I will help ensure the money is raised”
When I hear the phrase “to help ensure,” I take it to mean “to help make sure” or “promote the certainty” of something.
I see you’re of the “let’s remove all subtlety and make everything easy” ilk. This mind-set only serves to increase the difficulty of expressing nuanced thoughts and instead favors ideas that are strictly balck or white.
One could also argue that the interchangeable use of the words insure and ensure is what removes subtlety. I can, however, understand what you are saying if referencing only Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary where the word insure carries the meaning “to make certain by taking necessary measures and precautions.” (Webster’s also lists ensure as a synonym.) Other dictionaries I checked do not appear to make this distinction.
It seems to me that the difference between insure and ensure is not really that subtle at all. To ensure something is to take a proactive action to make sure something happens (or doesn’t happen). To insure against something (or to insure something) is to take steps to mitigate the negative effects of that thing happening (e.g. hedging one’s bets). Jane makes this point very well in response to Bryan. I disagree that insure is simply a stronger form of ensure, and I think that by modern standards the NRA got it wrong, and so did the Founders, although of course it may well have been correct in their day.
I think Mike’s interpretation is spot on. ‘Ensure’ has to do with taking active steps to cause something to (or not to) happen. ‘Insure’ is about mitigating the effects of something happening (or not happening). They are two very different concepts, and people using the terms synonymously damages the not-so-subtle distinction.
I’m a great believer in correct spelling and grammar and it is very helpful, even though I know that the words are all different, to actually have the differences in writing. This means I can make sure when I am proof-reading tutorials that they are correct.
Thanks very much.
I am glad you found it helpful, Janet.
Is this another example of differences between American English and British English, such as “grey” v. “gray”, “judgment” v. “judgement”, etc?
According to the The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, there is even more overlap between assure and insure. In British English, assure can also take on the meaning of “to insure against loss.”
Just found this post. I’m currently in a lecture and a colleague thought that there is a grammar error on the presentation: “…please INSURE and obtain a TRACKING number as a safeguard.” He thinks ENSURE should be used in this context. Kindly tell me your take on this. Thanks in advance.
If the presenter is literally requesting that the sender add insurance coverage to the shipment, then it is correct as written:
“Please insure and obtain a tracking number as a safeguard.”
However, if the intent is simply to make sure that a tracking number is obtained, I prefer the word ensure for clarity; however, insure may also be used.
Thanks for the info…I have terrible grammar:))
I am glad you find our website helpful!
Thanks Jane for taking the time to post this. I have always had a difficult time with a lot of the English grammar and this helps a bunch.
I am glad that you find it helpful.
It seems as though Sam likes to hear himself (or in this instance, SEE himself) argue.
Anyway, I’m a Federal Probation Officer and have been interchanging the words assure, ensure, and insure for a few months now. I haven’t been able to obtain good clarification until now. Thanks for the info and keep it up!
I am glad you found the information helpful.
I was just writing a letter and wondering if insure and ensure could be different but the same, good reference…
Thanks.
I like your definitions because they are simple and clear.
However the definition of ‘ensure’ – to make sure something will/won’t happen – seems a little restrictive as your example demonstrates. Installing a smoke alarm does not ensure the safety of your family even though the person fitting it assures you that it will. This is why we have insurance.
I think we can ensure that something is the case but we can say very little about what will happen in the future.
Our definition of ensure is reasonably similar to every dictionary definition available: to make sure or certain. But, examined closely, you’re right that there is very little that we can say with certainty about the future. Ensure is perhaps our best human effort to predict a safe future. I do like your two sentences where you use all three words: ensure, assure(s), and insure (insurance).
Language changes over time. I confirm what Josh said a few years ago about the use of “insure” in the preamble to the Constitution. I’m up to number 35 in reading The Federalist papers and have already found Hamilton using “insure” (and not once using “ensure”) at least a half-dozen times already, in places where current usage would dictate “ensure”.
OK, OK maybe modern usage demands that these words are interchangeable . . .
I don’t like to be a “strict constructionist” (heaven forfend)! But ya know; It’s kinda *fun* to be able to make fine distinctions, to differentiate among close synonyms, to use the tens of thousands of words in English differently, whenever you can.
I hate to see some of these distinctions lost, simply because we then lose the interest of using them literally for the fun of it. I feel the same way about lie/lay/lain . . . It’s fun to know the difference between lie/lay/lain and lay/laid/laid. Isn’t it??
Ya know, I kinda doubt you’ll be accused of being a strict constructionist! Seriously, we’re glad that you and many of our weekly E-Newsletter readers and blog writers join us in finding grammar fun. We do enjoy fine distinctions and that’s why the blog titled, “Assure vs Ensure vs Insure” makes distinctions between these words (even though the distinctions are not always quite so clearly defined). And, indeed, it is not only fun but good grammar to know the lie/lay rules (see the chart on p. 3 of Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words) which have not changed through modern usage.
I assure you that I will insure my car in order to help ensure my safety.
I understand what you are trying to do with your sentence, Bryan. Unfortunately, insuring your car does not necessarily ensure your safety. It does help ensure that costs for damages to property and persons are covered.
Words like everything else evolve over time. The definition of a word is in the context and usage. Meaning that the way that a word is used in a sentence can change the meaning of the word over time. Or add an additional definition to the word.
This was a great help for me as I needed to put the correct term in my resume. Thank you for the quick, accurate explanation since I haven’t had a chance to dig the book out from my recent move.
I am glad you found the information you were looking for.
Which would be the correct grammar?
Insure the tradition of excellence.
Ensure the tradition of excellence.
Our blog Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure makes the distinction that the definition of ensure is “to make sure something will or won’t happen,” whereas insure means “to issue an insurance policy.” Therefore, “Ensure the tradition of excellence” is a better choice.
Which would be proper/correct grammar?
1. please assure these are updated in the minutes
2. please ensure these are updated in the minutes
Thanks!!
Since you want to know that the updates will be made, rather than just promised to be made, ensure is a better word.